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Chicago Bulls President and COO Michael Reinsdorf has a unique way of dealing with a critical fan base. Instead of ignoring their qualms and refusing to acknowledge their criticism, the head honcho would rather have an honest conversation with them and try his best to hear out what they have to say.
This is exactly what happened to lifelong Bulls fan Matt Dervin. Little did the Chicago native know that an overly critical email he sent to Reinsdorf — which pretty much questioned the direction the team was taking — would eventually escalate to become one of the most memorable experiences of his life.
As detailed by Stephen Noh in his piece for The Athletic, Reinsdorf actually called Dervin to discuss his complaints. Moreover, Reinsdorf even had Dervin join him in his box suite to watch a game, where he would be able to hang out with Bulls legends Toni Kukoc and Horace Grant:
“The whole game I sat with Toni, Horace and Michael and watched the game and talked to them about the game, things going on,” Dervin said. “I was asking them free agency questions, draft questions. It was surreal. Michael actually hung out with me and my dad for the whole game, which was wild.
“They treated me honestly like I was one of their friends or peers. They talked to me the whole time. We talked about who I thought would come out of the East, who they thought would come out of the East. We were kind of just chatting like I was watching the game with one of my friends. For them to take the time to talk with me, sit next to me, was unreal and kind of unexpected.”
Sometimes, it pays to have a strong opinion, especially when it comes to something that you hold dear in your heart. This was exactly the case for Dervin, who came out with a truly unforgettable experience with the team he has supported from childhood.
